


Strings Attach, We Conquer

by HogwartsToAlexandria



Series: Marie's Events and Bang Fics [9]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: 2019 Captain America/Iron Man Holiday Exchange, Alpha Pepper Potts, Alpha Sam Wilson, Alpha Tony Stark, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Werewolves Avengers, Beta Stephen Strange, Christmas, Fluff, Found Family, M/M, Mating Bites, Mating Bonds, Medical Examination, Mpreg, Omega Bucky Barnes, Omega Steve Rogers, Scenting, Soulbonds, Supernatural Elements, fear of infertility
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-27
Updated: 2019-12-27
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:33:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21646831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HogwartsToAlexandria/pseuds/HogwartsToAlexandria
Summary: CAPTAIN AMERICA/IRON MAN HOLIDAY EXCHANGESteve and Tony have been together and mated for about a year when the questions of their pack become a little more - too - insistent and it's time to lift the veil on a secret that has led all of them to wrongly presume of their bond. Decisions and celebrations happen.
Relationships: Bruce Banner/Thor, Happy Hogan/May Parker (Spider-Man), James "Bucky" Barnes/Natasha Romanov/Sam Wilson, Pepper Potts/Stephen Strange, Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Series: Marie's Events and Bang Fics [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1649737
Comments: 15
Kudos: 249
Collections: 2019 Captain America/Iron Man Holiday Exchange





	Strings Attach, We Conquer

**Author's Note:**

  * For [betheflame](https://archiveofourown.org/users/betheflame/gifts).



> And here it is! My Cap-IM fill for Betheflame's Stony Christmas gift!  
> 

_ Tony POV- _

"Nat, come  _ on _ ! You were flirting with the guy, and not in that superspy way you did with me, admit it," Tony grinned as he sat back down next to Steve. 

He didn't really expect an answer so he raised an eyebrow when Natasha presented him with one in the form of her middle finger. He chuckled and let it go, preferring to lean back in his chair until both his thigh and shoulder connected with Steve's. He looked around the table and smiled, a soft, contented smile at seeing all their friends gathered, relaxed, at ease. It made his pathologically overactive brain slow down, his heart rate at its closest to the norm of a wereleader than at any other point. 

Steve's hand found his under the table and squeezed gently, like he knew, and of course he did - scent-blockers only ever affected those outside a bond, not the people sharing it. Tony gave him a side-glance, his smile stretching just that much warmer.

Sam and Bucky were both on their way to finishing their second helping of Steve's lasagna - Sarah Rogers patented - and Bruce was already nibbling on Clint's cookies when the question came again. Tony was the one to squeeze Steve's hand then. 

Barely looking up from his mountain of cottage pie - the most nourishing food Midgard has to offer - Thor asked again. 

"So, Stark, when are we to expect a happy announcement?" 

Natasha snickered against the knee she'd drawn up to her chest, long done eating and Tony gave her a pointed look. Bruce blushed on both Tony and Steve's behalf, probably embarrassed that his mate was the one to put the topic back on the table, while Sam nudged a coughing Bucky. Steve had gone rigid next to him so Tony, brushing his thumb over his mate's knuckles, turned around in his chair just slightly, just enough to read his gaze without the others understanding what they discussed through the bond. Tony's heart gave a slight pang of joy at the way Steve nodded, almost imperceptibly, his side of the bond buzzing with an anticipation Tony was sure was unwarranted. 

_ Time for the big reveal _ , he thought and Steve chuckled as if he'd heard him. 

Tony kept their hands linked as he crossed his legs and flashed one of his press-approved grins at the others, winking at Bucky who obviously knew already.

"I'm afraid, dear Thor, that this isn't my decision to make nor my answer to give," Tony quipped solemnly.

He couldn't help grinning even harder when everyone but Bucky and Steve started giving him puzzled looks. 

"Well, since it's your body, I would assume it's very much your decision to make." Sam said in as composed a way as he could as he side-glanced Steve, his mind no doubt filled with questions as to what kind of alpha he imagined him to be. 

"You see," Tony started again, everyone's eyes coming back on him, "the point is, it's really  _ not _ ."

He said that, leaning forward a little as he looked each and everyone of their teammates in the eye to drive his point home, and then sat back again in Steve's warmth, his palm covering the back of Steve's hand as they watched the others, each in their own time, process what Tony's words meant. 

"No way." Sam gasped a little.

"I knew it." Natasha lied.

"You mean…" Bruce started. 

And Thor completed, "You mean to say you are the omega of this sacred bond?" 

The only two who stayed silent were Bucky, which was expected as he'd known forever, and Clint, who smiled in the purple blanket he'd wrapped himself in in a way that suggested he'd known somehow. Tony tapped the tips of his fingers to his temple and Clint nodded, " _ yeah, I knew _ " then looked up very briefly - Tony huffed in laughter,  _ the vents _ . 

Steve sat awkwardly on his chair before he cleared his throat.

"Yeah, that's what he said." He said simply and then, as much squaring his shoulders as rubbing one of them against Tony's, he continued, "I'm an omega." 

His chin held up high and his cheeks blooming a soft pink, Steve laughed when Sam whooped and Bruce looked at him with sparkly eyes, Nat grinning in the same position as before. 

Announcing one's status among a pack as close-knit as theirs was usually done much sooner than this, two years into the formation of the Werevengers team and its recognition by the public, a year and a half to the date where everyone had moved into Tony's tower, a little under a year since they'd announced they were mated. Up to this point, and Thor's question and Sam's reaction had proved it, everyone had just assumed, and correctly so, that they were an alpha/omega pair and then, wrongly so, that Steve was the alpha of their bond. 

What followed next was a pretty common occurrence of their kind of community too - vampires had the same kind of dynamics, albeit much more reservedly, when dominant and soothers came out to their peers - everyone got up from their seat to hug both Steve and Tony in turn. Tony's smile was almost tearful, he'd tried so many times to tell Steve that this would be their team's exact reaction, to no avail, growing up omega in the 30s had left a mark like no other. 

"And you knew and didn't tell me!" Sam pushed at Bucky's shoulder playfully, his alpha red just flashing slightly as he faked indignation. 

Bucky winked at him, "You never asked." 

"This is all very sweet but it doesn't answer Thor's question," Natasha slid in when things quieted down and everyone sat back to eat some more - werepacks were bound to eat quite a  _ lot _ .

Tony shrugged, "Keep it up and we'll tell you last."

Steve caressed Tony's knee under the table before smirking at Natasha.

"You'll know when you know."

* * *

_ Steve POV- _

_ WhatsApp Chat: _

_ #ThePepperInDr.Pepper _

_ Steve: Hey, Pep, you got a min? _

_ Pepper: yep, just sat down with a cup of coffee. What do you need so early in the day? _

_ Steve: I need an appointment with your husband. _

_ Pepper: Everything ok? _

_ Steve: yeah _

_ Steve: I just don't want Tony knowing so I'm asking you. _

_ Pepper: sure it's the best plan when he's obviously the one who changed the name of this chat? ;-) _

_ Pepper: but sure, I'll tell Stephen, I'm sure he'll be able to squeeze you in today or tomorrow. Wanna talk about it? _

_ Steve: that's great, no rush really. _

_ Steve: I wanna stop my birth control.  _

_ … _

_ Pepper: that's great! Oh but, why the secret? You worried about something? _

_ Steve: the serum _

_ Steve: it wasn't meant to be used on an omega you know, messed up my scent pretty bad, could have messed up something else too... _

_ Pepper: oh _

_ Pepper: well, I'm sure Stephen will be able to tell you if it did. I'm here either way. Will be in my office all day if you need anything, ok? _

_ Steve: yeah, thank you Pep.  _

_ Pepper: anytime sweetheart.  _

  
  


* * *

_ Steve POV- _

Stephen's practice was so pristinely clean and elegant Steve always felt a bit gauche when he came here, but the feeling vanished when his eyes met those of his friend and Stephen gave him one of his rare frank smiles. 

"If you'll follow me, sir," he winked and showed Steve the way, as if he didn't know it already. 

Pepper and Stephen, apart from Bucky and, apparently Clint, had been the only ones in the know until that dinner two days ago. Partly because Stephen was a doctor, trained to recognize the tiniest sign of someone's status to best care for them even if they couldn't disclose the information themselves, and partly because Tony and Pepper had stayed very close even after their failed attempt at completing the steps of bonding between alpha and alpha so it was only natural that when she'd settled with Stephen, they'd all became fast friends. 

Steve walked into Stephen's office, taking in the beauty of the room once more, from the shining leather of the man's chair, to his ebony desk and the spotless examination table. His breathing escalated just a bit. 

"Didn't take you for a white-coat-phobic," Stephen joked as he closed the door behind him.

Steve didn't answer. There was a lump in his throat and his palms felt too sweaty to be comfortable. And of course Stephen knew. It was like the air shifted a bit as the beta released just enough pheromones to keep the atmosphere from souring with Steve's nerves. 

"Hey," Stephen walked up to Steve's front, slow as he put one of his hands on Steve's shoulder, "Virginia told me why you were coming, there's no need to be this stressed. We'll do everything we can to make sure everything works the way it should and then you'll tell Tony and in two months time you'll have some news to give all of us, ok?" 

"You can't promise that," Steve choked off, finally overwhelmed by emotion. 

"Yes I can, Captain, because even if we do find out something's off, we'll be discussing other options as soon as you two decide how you want to go about it, won't we?" Stephen's eyes, so blue as they gazed into Steve's intently, gave him enough strength to nod.

"Yeah, yeah we will." Steve nodded again. He took a deep breath in, then jerked his head to the old fashioned screen in the corner. "Should I get ready then?"

"Yes, just take a gown in the drawer." 

Steve took the few minutes it took him to get out of his clothes and into the medical paper-thin gray gown to gather his thoughts to himself. The worry that the serum had fucked up his ability to bear children had never weighted on his mind and heart as much as it had since he'd realized his feelings for Tony were reciprocated and their relationship took a turn on commitment street. He'd had others things to do, think about and prove to himself and others in the 40s, and ever since he woke up from the ice, too. 

Until that night where the team was sent to Fayetteville, Georgia and Fury found it was a good idea to save pennies on hotel reservations, leading he and Tony to share a room for the first time, and a bed too, because how else could Fury micromanage their lives. They'd side-eyed each other all night, and Tony had kept sniffing in a way that had made Steve second-guess his smell, before he understood the exertion of the mission had finally won over the power of his scent-blocking deodorant and Tony was just smelling his real scent for the very first time - the strange mix of the serum musk and omega honey, of the sweat of the day that bittered his natural apple tinge. 

Steve's eyes had widened when he realized, and so had Tony's, but the alpha hadn't done or said a thing, simply went to take a shower and came back out fully clothed, even though Steve knew for a fact Tony hated sleeping with clothes on. Confessions happened that very night, in the early hours of the morning really, and so had their first kiss, and the first time their hands had roamed each other's bodies, and the first time Steve had let himself gasp on the knot of another man, of an alpha, since the army. 

Before then, having children was a distant thought that Steve didn't spare much time. After that, when Tony revealed himself to be one of the most thoughtful man, if distracted by a thousand things at once, that Steve could have hoped to date and his feelings for him grew from one day to the next, Steve found himself thinking about it more and more. 

And then came the announcement to the team, that they were a thing first, and that they were about to be a  _ bonded _ one then, and finally, the time to show everyone the matching mating bites on their respective necks. That's when the questions, innocent and well-meaning, started to come, and when Steve found the uncertainty ate away his nights, until he snapped during the days. 

"You ready?" Stephen's voice filtered through the curtain of the screen, the man no doubt sensing where Steve's thoughts once again led him.

"Yeah," Steve shook himself, "sorry, I'm ready." 

"Hop on, you know the drill." Stephen said as softly as he could. And that he did. 

Stephen was the only doctor Steve trusted to know of his status, so naturally, he was the only one he trusted for any omega-related check-up as well, so he knew, they'd been there a number of times. 

"We'll start with checking your canal then let you rest with an ultrasound. Sound good?" Stephen said as he put on some gloves, the latex popping in place. 

Steve nodded swiftly. 

"Alright, legs in the stirrups." Stephen started, then sat on a rolling stool when Steve got into position. "I need you to breathe, Steve," he continued and Steve could hear him unscrew the cap of a lube bottle and pour some in his gloved hands. "Breathe for me." Stephen waited one, two, three breaths then slid in a finger. 

Steve screwed his eyes shut, gritting his teeth as he forced himself not to fight the intrusion and kept taking deep breaths. 

Stephen felt around, gently but with all the efficiency of a professional, pressing where he needed to press and brushing where he needed to be more delicate. Steve's blush felt painted on his cheeks, just like every time but Stephen just kept telling him what he was doing, using all the clinical terms Steve had learnt by heart by way of reading and researching everything he could about his own anatomy, and after a while, Stephen's voice worked to soothe him. 

Steve kept his eyes shut as he listened to the other man listing his every movement and waited out the procedure. Just as his breathing got back to something relatively normal, Stephen clicked his tongue and took out his finger. 

"Alright, done there." He said and took off his gloves, turning around on his stool to throw the gloves in the trash can next to the screen. "Everything feels completely normal. Prostate is where it should be and the size it should be, uterine hook seems ready to do its job whenever you want it too but you must feel that, right? Even with birth control it should do its thing during sexual intercourse." Stephen paused, waiting for Steve's assent. 

"Yeah, yeah I feel it. It…" Steve gulped, "it  _ wraps _ around Tony?" 

Stephen nodded a few times, "Yep, totally normal. Good. Ready for the next step?" He asked, unperturbed.

"Sure." 

"Want something to cover you modesty?" The bastard smirked. 

"I'd like that, yes, the little I have left." Steve huffed. 

Again, Stephen rolled his stool to the chest Steve had previously taken his gown from and came back to Steve's side with a small blanket, just long enough to cover Steve's pelvis and thighs. 

"Thank you." 

"All good, put that over you and roll up the gown, please." 

* * *

_ Steve POV- _

_ WhatsApp Chat: _

_ #StonylovesSteve _

_ Steve: did you really change the chat name to *that*? _

_ Tony: what why? Of course. I love you and you should love yourself so here you go. ;-) you comin' home soon? I'm bored, DUM-e chased me out of the workshop again. And Jarvis won't help.  _

_ Steve: they're both right, been working too much lately love. _

_ Steve: but yes, I'm coming home right now, Happy just picked me up, should be there in ten he says.  _

_ Tony: where were you? 👀 _

_ Steve: you'll know soon enough. Took any time for you today?  _

_ Tony: hm, sort of? Doesn’t designing a new armor count as me-time? Cuz I did that, also a new web shooter for Pete, and new glasses for Sam and… you get the drill.  _

_ Steve: indeed. Tell Jarv we'll need a bath about 30min after I'm home.  _

_ Tony: you know he reads those right? Anyhow, Jarvis is at the ready Captain. Why 30 minutes?  _

_ Steve: you'll know soon enough ;-) _

_ Tony: tease _

_ Tony: my tease _

_ Steve: got that right _

_ Steve: see you in 5 _

* * *

  
  


_ Tony POV- _

"Honey I'm home!" Steve's voice echoed joyfully to reach Tony where he'd settled in the armchair by the fireplace, how very cliché of him in this chilly day of October. 

Tony didn't waste a moment before he got up, nearly jumping to his feet before he strode across the living room and into the entryway. He didn't waste a moment wrapping his arms around his mate either, once Steve had taken off his coat and hung it by the door. 

"Where were you?" He asked in Steve's neck, always glad for the reminder of their size difference as it put his lips right against Steve's mating bite, where it should always be really. He kissed the skin there and let Steve squeeze his arms around his waist before he caught up with a faint, barely there, but  _ still _ \--

"Are you smelling me right now?" Steve laughed as he let go of Tony's midsection to disentangle himself from their embrace. 

Tony followed him till his nose could press back right where it had been. 

"Stephen! What were you doing at Stephen's?" 

There was no accusation in his tone just a great curiosity, doubled with concern when Tony realized there was no trace of Pepper's Chanel-like scent in the huffs he was getting from Steve, and that could only mean he hadn't gone to Bleecker Street. 

"Your sense of smell is ridiculous, I'll never get used to how easily you do that." Steve laughed again before he bypassed Tony in the hallway and went into the living room. 

Tony followed him step for step. 

"That's what makes me a great leader, noticing things." Tony said in that tone he used when he was actually mocking himself. 

"Nope. Being the leanest and fastest wolf is one thing that makes you a great pack leader, being the most thought out and level-headed in times of battle is another thing and--"

"And you're buying time by complimenting me, not that I'm complaining but this tactic got old about six months ago, Rogers. Spill it." 

"I went to Stephen's office." Steve started, sitting down in the spot Tony had vacated just minutes ago. 

"I figured as much," Tony encouraged and Steve nodded, as if to say he was getting there. 

"Thing is," Steve worried at his bottom lip. "I'd like to…" Steve's gaze made a back and forth between his hands and his knees before finally looking up into Tony's, a wave of warmth and reassuring hope flooding both their bond and Steve's eyes. "I'd like to get off my birth control?" Steve's voice took on a rising note like he was asking the question rather than stating this. 

Tony was struck dumb for all of two seconds as he processed this before he laughed, a happy laugh that was sure to show on his whole face before he stalled again. 

"And you went to our resident asshole because…?" 

Tony had a feeling he knew why, the same as he'd somehow known that their friends' insistent questioning of both his status and their hypothetically incoming children had put Steve on the spot in a way that was far too uncomfortable for there not to be an explanation bigger than  _ "he's not ready". _ Tony being himself, had obviously jumped to the conclusion that it must come from him, that the idea of having kids with  _ him  _ wasn't something Steve would ever be ready for but that was unfair, both to himself, and to Steve, who'd gone through all five steps of bonding with him and showed him nothing but love and support for the last year they'd been together. So Tony wasn't exactly surprised when Steve's eyes filled with tears that didn't flow, but he was ready. 

"I wanted to check...first…check that I was able...able to do it before I told you." Steve sobbed.

Tony couldn't take even the small feet of distance between them then. He pushed Steve's legs until they uncrossed and took a hold of his arms to lift them off his lap and sat down, straddling him. He let go of Steve's arms to put a hand on each of his cheeks and bring his mate into a kiss, that was fierce as much as it was soft. He let his tongue trace the seam of the man's lips, then brush over Steve' own tongue. He growled a low rumble against his lips, to let his alpha express himself, let him get Steve's omega to snap out of this, and it worked. 

Steve wound his arms around Tony's waist, tight enough that they ended up plastered against one another and Tony gasped as Steve let go of his lips to mouth as this own mating mark. With his hands in Steve's hair, and brushing down the back of his neck, Tony panted. 

"You haven't told me," he started, "haven't told me what Stephen said." 

He could feel it, the way Steve smiled against his neck and the way his omega almost danced on the line of their bond and he relaxed even before Steve whispered in his ear. 

"We can start making babies, right away." 

The way Tony's throat opened on a low growl and his arms flexed around Steve's shoulders couldn't be controlled, nor the way his cock immediately starting filling in his pants, nor how Steve's hips snapped up to meet him as he ground down. 

"Oh yeah?" Tony said anyway, "That why you asked for a bath, baby? So I can make love to you? So I can put babies inside you?" 

Tony's voice got huskier than he'd ever heard himself and he was  _ sure  _ his eyes were already starting to redden, just as Steve's began to glow their beautiful gold. This was new territory, language that Tony had only ever used to talk to Steve in dreams and would never have dared uttering if not for the revelation of this night. Their hips moved together as they watched each other in the eyes and Tony grinned. 

"I'm gonna make such a mess of you, baby, such a mess." 

Steve nodded, then took a deeper breath as he joined their foreheads and asked. "You're sure, right? Completely sure you want to do this?"

"This? Children with you? Babies with the man who's made my life worth getting up in the morning, mini-Stonys who will run and babble and cry and look like both you and I?" Tony rambled before taking a stifled breath in, "Yeah, I'm pretty fucking sure I've never been surer of anything in my life."

Steve's lips twitched in a ghost of their running " _ Language" _ joke which Tony suddenly had a feeling would become more of a staple of their house now. 

"Wanna get to work, Captain?"

"Nope," Steve grunted as he lifted Tony up as he got up from the armchair. Tony wound his arms and legs around Steve more securely just as the man started walking and resumed talking. "I wanna get to fucking, Iron Wolf." He whispered.

* * *

Christmas at the lake.

_ Steve POV- _

Steve got up that morning thinking it would still be dark outside, just as it had been the last two times he had woken up that night to go to the bathroom. It wasn't. It was 7.30am, which meant he had missed the mark to go running, which happened more and more lately. His stomach growled in hunger and his hands felt a bit clammy. 

He trudged to the adjoining bathroom without realizing that Tony had already gone down to meet whoever was already up so he was alone in the room. He opened the cupboard behind the mirror to retrieve his toothbrush - might as well freshen up a bit - and a plastic bag fell from the shelf and into the sink in a flurry. Steve frowned, more out of residual sleepiness than confusion, he knew what this was, had taken enough of them and glared at enough of its clones to know exactly what it was even with his eyes half-closed. 

_ A pregnancy test. _

Steve put the little cardboard box and its bag onto the washing machine next to the sink and started brushing his teeth, thinking. The last one he'd taken dated back from before his last heat, and it had been such a colossal disappointment at the time, when his October heat, just after his breaking the news to Tony and getting to trying to have kids, had already proved fruitless, having the November one fall through as well had been hard; which was ridiculous, even amongst the wolves of their society, not many couples, bonded or not, managed to produce children right off the bat, unless they had the stability and fertility of a beta/omega pair. And Stephen had said Steve was all but enhanced in that capacity as well, and Tony, well, Tony was basically rivaling with merpeople in the reproducing sector, not that that was a thing the wolf in him liked to hear. 

Steve chuckled to himself just thinking about Tony's obfuscation in Stephen's office, remembering at the last minute that his mouth was filled with toothpaste, too late, bye bye tee-shirt. 

Rinsing his mouth, Steve then took off his shirt and pushed it into the machine right away before he looked at the test again, long and yearning. And decided to say  _ fuck it _ . 

He opened the box, not without having to fight the particularly electrically charged plastic of the bag, and retrieved the test. He pushed his pants down and sat on the toilet. He peed, and watched the wall in front of him with an intensity that made him grateful he didn't channel lightning through his eyes. 

The wait after that was always insufferable. Steve washed his hands and paced the small room, opening the door again just to take a peek and finally realize that he could actually hear Tony's voice filtering from downstairs. Good. At least if it was negative again, he wouldn't read it on his face as quickly, he still would, but maybe in less than three-seconds' time. 

Steve leaned on the door until the last second where he was sure the test would be ready, then only, walked slowly to the edge of the sink and glanced at it, trying to conjure images of his last heat, of Tony's eyes, so red and so wholly-filled with love and a raw, animal lust that took him in and pumped inside him till they were both exhausted, broken after four days of uninterrupted sex and mating. He glanced at it and his heart sped up, up, up.

Thank God Tony was a whole floor away from him or his nostrils would have flared on the spot as Steve himself could smell his scent mellow out to a fragrant apple perfume that filled his nose and lungs and he coughed as tears wetted his eyes and then his cheeks and he sat down on the toilet lid this time and cried to his heart's content. 

He was pregnant. They were pregnant. 

They did it. 

The sound of a door opening and closing down the hallway snapped Steve out of his trance-like state as it told him either Bucky or Sam were up. Tony would sense he was awake soon enough anyway. Steve forced himself to get up from the toilet. 

He took a step to the left to look at himself, shirtless, in the mirror. Nothing showed so early on, and yet, Steve already felt different with the knowledge that he was carrying their baby. A mere few months of trying, as exhausting as it had been emotionally, and here he was, passing his hand over his flat and defined stomach, grinning wetly as he thought of the way it would distend to accommodate a new life in nothing but a few weeks. 

He was purring, so loud he could hear it which normally didn't happen, and his smile grew. He'd had a whole plan for this day, Christmas Eve; had wanted to ask Tony to marry him, as untraditional as it was for omegas to propose their alphas - tradition had never been their thing after all. But this new bit of news, felt life-changing enough that Steve left his little box in his nightstand when he was dressed and ready as he would ever be to come down the stairs and meet the others. 

Each step he took he tried to rein in his smile, not be too obvious as he teared-up at the sight of the tree Tony and Happy had dragged inside at the start of December, or seeing the mountain of gifts under it from the whole team as they were already here, either in the kitchen as he could hear quite a few voices in there, or still sleeping soundly in their designated rooms. 

Even with the scent-blocking deodorant doing its job, Steve knew his scent was still all over the place. He tried pulling the collar of his sweater up but, as he passed Bucky on his way to the kitchen and the man hugged him hello, he knew it was failing. Bucky's eyes rounded up as he caught a whiff of Steve and he grinned. Steve couldn't help grinning again - of course Bucky would know right away, what with being an omega himself, what with having known Steve forever. A finger on his lips, Steve told him to keep it to himself and Bucky nodded, patting Steve's back and squeezing his shoulder before resuming his path towards the couch and sinking onto it. 

The kitchen was a right mess, no matter how much Pepper and Happy tried, letting Tony help was the worst idea either of them could have had. It made Steve laugh though, first thing in the morning - or almost - he wasn't complaining. 

"Good morning, kitchen elves," Steve stayed by the door, taking in the activity in front of him. 

From the kitchen island to the counters beneath the cupboards, from the cooking robot to the oven and dishwasher, everything was on, everything was buzzing. Pepper had flour in her hair and Happy was elbow-deep in what appeared to be cookie dough while Tony had something that resembled chocolate but could easily be dried cranberry smeared across one of his cheeks. The smile the man gave him when Steve entered could have lit up the darkest cave and Steve's heart, already on overdrive, gave a start. They were going to be dads, and he would tell him tonight, he would tell him with everyone they loved gathered around them, and Tony would most certainly cry, and he would go from being the leader of a pack of wolves to an octopus Steve would happily have to drag with him everywhere he'd go for lack of being able to detach him from his belly and back alike. 

"Go, Tony, your bond energy is strong enough to make my hands shake and I'm trying to achieve something here." Pepper said as she drew faces atop small cookie people. 

"Sorry, can't help it." Tony apologized in a grin. He kissed her cheek before walking to Steve, sincere in his words as he felt for her - Stephen wouldn't be there until nightfall, doctor's duty to the nation and all that - but he really could never help the lilt his steps took when they were in the same room as each other, especially in a time as special and relaxed as Christmas, the fact that it was their first time hosting it together didn't help. 

Steve made grabby hands in the air between them and Tony caught them before pulling gently and hugging him. 

"Mornin' baby," Tony whispered against his shoulder and Steve, as mindful as he was not to let his secret out too soon, couldn't not return the embrace. 

His hands trembled faintly against Tony's back but the man didn't notice. Happy did though, all beta that he was and nudged Pepper until she did as well. They both winked at Steve and he tried his hardest not to cry right there and then and ruin his surprise even as he kissed the side of Tony's head. 

"You two just can't stay away from each other, it'd be cute if it wasn't so gross." Sam's voice interrupted them and they took a step back laughing. 

"You're the one to talk Birdie, couldn't take your hands off Bucky for a whole month when you two bonded!" 

Sam put a hand on his heart, faking shock, "Oh but that was so different though, all filthy  _ animal _ sex, Can Wolf!" 

Everyone around groaned before Bucky yelled from the living room, "You say that one more time, Wilson!" 

" _ Trouble _ ," Steve mouthed at Sam before he retreated to the living room as well. "Got a few more presents to wrap, you're prohibited entry to the garage, got it?" Steve turned to Tony. 

The curious light that turned in his eyes like a bulb promised mischief but Steve knew Tony would never go out of his way to ruin a surprise so he believed him when he acquiesced. 

"Kiss me first?" 

"Always." 

Steve pulled Tony back in, claiming his lips as softly as he could in such good company and concealing his smile when Tony breathed and rumbled in his neck.

"Smell so good this morning." He whispered, loud enough that Happy and Pepper probably heard - wolf senses - but Steve didn't let him scent him further, with one last squeeze of his hand on Tony's side he walked away to said garage with a secretive smile.

  
  


* * *

  
  


_ Tony POV- _

Tony's alpha had been purring all day, happy to be so well surrounded, to be at home with as close to a wolf pack as modern society allowed for. So, by the time everyone had eaten enough to have rounded their bellies and threaten to fall asleep at the table, they all moved to the living room. Never before had Tony been able to fill the couches and armchairs his decorator had chosen to pack this room with. Never before had he been so merry on a Christmas day. 

His childhood hadn't exactly allowed for grand demonstrations of sincere love quite like the way his teammates sat just about everywhere in the room, perfectly comfortable in Tony and Steve's safe haven, perfectly at ease in their nest and cave. And if that wasn't proof enough that Tony didn't suck at leading a team of character-driven heroes, conversations, both loud and hushed, banter, both snarky and good-humored, were flowing. Bucky was sitting across Sam's lap, his Santa-socked feet resting on Nat's who watched them both with gentler eyes than Tony had ever seen her sport - he smiled at that, good for them - Thor and Bruce were making bedroom eyes at each other, like  _ always _ , and Stephen and Pepper weren't that much better, for all that they liked to appear detached in public, there was just something about this moment, this context, that made it impossible. 

Tony sat down next to May as she wiped Happy's glasses on a corner of her shirt and gazed, for the hundredth time in what seemed to be as many hours, at the door that led to the garage. It hadn't really been that long since Steve went back out that door but even twenty minutes felt like an eternity when all Tony wanted was to smother his mate with love. 

Their bond had been extraordinarily strong from the very start, almost resembling telepathy at times but today, there was an added pull that made all of Tony's thoughts  _ Steve _ ; Steve's lips and eyes and hands and the halo that had surrounded him all day. It was very distracting. He already wasn't a particularly good kitchen help, but Pepper had actually shooed him away the last time his eyes had drifted to watch Steve talking animatedly with May on the couch through the kitchen door. He'd made a mess of enough of her carefully designed cookie reindeers. 

With a broad motion of his arm and a smile just as big, Steve finally got out of the garage and into the living room again. Tony couldn't put his finger on it but both his alpha and his heart felt like standing up for some reason, and so he did - stood up in the middle of the others while Steve walked to them, and he didn't see anyone else but his mate, didn't hear anyone else or even the way the chatter significantly lessened and yet it felt like he could hear Steve  _ breathing _ . 

Steve's face kept a trace of the guarded look Tony had tried to crack all day and he just  _ didn't  _ get it. Tony frowned before he laughed at himself when he saw he was still standing there and Steve was already nearing their loveseat. He'd placed his perfectly wrapped gifts under the tree - heritage of his childhood, when you were poor in the 30s but had a sense for details, you learned to do well without much, so now that Steve had access to actual wrapping paper, nothing could stop him. 

A mysterious little smile on his face, Steve only winked and tapped the spot next to him. And Tony went. Maybe a little fast. He didn't care. 

"How can ten minutes without you feel like three hours?" Tony breathed against Steve's shoulder as Steve passed an arm around his shoulders.

Unwrapping gifts was everyone's favorite part of the evening, even for the shy and more insecure members of their little tribe - which was, half of it. 

Natasha was always surprised anyone had gotten her anything and would go from impenetrably impassive to red in the face, to discreetly teary-eyed. Sam and Bucky had gone the extra mile this year with the ballet sleepers and setting up a dance studio in her floor back at the Tower. She didn't blush but the way she looked at both men gave out as much as she would ever let it with so many people around. 

Bruce would blush and stutter and try to compose his voice as he gave his thanks. 

Happy was more the repressed joy type, cracking jokes that only meant he was moved and kissing his wife in lieu of thanking her. 

Tradition said the hosts should open their gifts last. So when it looked like Bucky was done tearing through his own presents and Thor sat back down from his distribution of crushing hugs, Steve turned to face Tony and put a box in front of him on a corner of the coffee table. Tony looked from the box to Steve and back, trying to decipher the look in Steve's eyes that looked to be so much more than Christmas and regular gift-giving. He still couldn't make sense of it all. 

"Open it," Steve smiled, putting a hand on Tony's knee. 

Tony nodded, only then realizing that everyone had stopped talking and was watching them. He flashed them a half-confident smile as he started tearing at the paper, one corner of the gift, then the next, and off with it. Behind the paper he found a box, gray and velvet to the touch, about the size of a shoe box. Glancing at Steve, Tony opened the lid. 

A sheet of paper rested at the top, "I NEED YOU TO LISTEN." 

"Ok…" 

And then, when Tony put that one aside with a frown, there was another, this time reading, "ARE YOU LISTENING?"

"Yup, yes I am, all ears babe." Tony said, as much at the paper as he said it to Steve. 

Steve chuckled but didn't answer, just let Tony find a tablet inside. Tony's frown deepened so much he could feel his skin folding to accommodate it. 

"Go on, press start," Steve whispered, and Tony didn't fully register the wavering of his voice until after. 

He did as asked, pressed start on the audio file the tablet had unlocked to. Immediately, a heartbeat started echoing in the room, taking everyone by surprise and making Tony's brain whirl with how hard he was trying to understand the message behind all this. 

The file stopped, and another message appeared, on the screen this time and preceded with a "Read me aloud, please." so Tony once again did as he was asked. 

With a voice full of confusion, he read, word for word, "This is my heartbeat, as I recorded it this morning, it's fast right? Now, please press play on the second file.

The same sound, just as loud, but with more space between each beat played in the room. Tony saw Stephen winking at Steve out of the corner of his eye but he was listening so intently to the sound, the alpha in him so focused on this visceral music, its meaning right  _ there _ and still out of reach somehow. It was getting frustrating and Steve must have seen something over his features because the next thing Tony knew, Steve's hand migrated from his knee to his neck, the pads of his fingers dancing along the edge of his mating bite and pressing into his main scent gland, firmly even as his hand trembled. 

"Ask Jarvis to analyze that, then get the tablet out of the box." Steve whispered once more. 

"Jarv?" Tony asked, now looking directly into Steve's eyes, trying to see, to know why there were tears there even as a feeling started dawning on him. 

"Right on it sir." The AI jumped in, "The second heartbeat matches with one of the numerous SHIELD recordings of the Captain's heart functions in training, this one dating back to six months ago. It is significantly slower than the first one and given that Mr. Rogers' both human and wolf forms are in excellent form and he hasn't partaken in any  _ strenuous _ activity for the last eighteen hours, the only explanation I have is that Mr. Rogers has recently become fertile." 

Tony's eyes rounded up gradually, he could feel them, the wrinkles in the corners distending as his mouth fell open and his ears filled with static.

"Fertile? Fertile as in pregnant? As in you're pregnant? As in babies, inside you?" Tony babbled and babbled, and Steve laughed even as tears finally ran down his cheeks.

"The tablet, look underneath," he said. 

And when Tony did, in a last area of the box carved in the bottom, he found a red and gold pacifier, with a blue star in its middle. Tony laughed, and maybe he cried too, and then he would only remember what he said later, or maybe not, but he pulled the pacifier out of the box with his index finger before closing his fist around it and pulling Steve to him, on his lap, in his arms and breathed. Finally placing the meaning behind the glow, the scent, the smiles, the pull. 

Pregnant. They were pregnant. As in, babies inside Steve, as in, inside their lives, a family of their own, children to give the most and the best to, and a mate Tony couldn't love more, only he did, every day that passed. 

Dads. And a village of friends to do this with. 


End file.
